LEDs and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)

Added by Marissa

December 11, 2016

In the past, we have covered how LED lighting is benefiting patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Today we are going to dive a little deeper into how LEDs could be beneficials for patients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

What is TBI?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by an external mechanical force. It is not something you are born with. People may suffer from TBI after car accidents, falls and more. These incidences can cause temporary or permanent impairment of cognitive, physical and psychosocial functions of the brain.

You may be wondering, “How is an internal injury going to be treated using external LED technology?” Recent studies have shown patients with TBI improving with LED therapy.

LEDs and TBI

According to MedPage Today, two patients suffering from TBI showed improvements after undergoing transcranial light therapy. One of the TBI patients, after four months of nightly treatments at home of near-infrared LED lighting on the scalp and forehead, returned to work. The second patient, who was in a car accident seven years earlier, showed attention span improvement with LED transcranial light therapy, improving from 30 minutes to three hours.

However, transcranial light therapy is not a cure for TBI, merely a new treatment option. Both patients mentioned above regressed after stopping the LED light therapy.

The Future of LEDs and TBI

While this method of light therapy is not a cure and is not used as commonly as other treatments, Margaret A. Naeser, PhD, of Boston University and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, believes this study and past ones warrant further research and development. Her team stated, “”Transcranial red/near-infrared LED may be an inexpensive, noninvasive treatment, suitable for home treatments, to improve cognitive function in TBI patients, as well as to reduce symptom severity in post-traumatic stress disorder.”